Vampire Heart
by Copperpelt
Summary: A month has passed since Zoran's defeat, and things have not been easy. Shun, unaware that Alice is still alive, has fallen victim to his inner demons because of her death. While Alice, in a similar situation and believing she and Shun were betrayed, has joined Levi and become a Hunter to seek revenge. Both are suffering greatly, but when they're reunited, what will happen? R&R PLZ
1. A Broken Reflection

_~O~_

Alice glanced around the large ballroom and took in her surroundings. There were a lot of people crammed in the room, and the mindless chatter easily turned into an uproar. She wasn't here to attend the party, though; she had a job to do. Alice surveyed the people in the room, carefully scanning faces for a very important guest. She recalled the picture she had been shown prior to leaving for the party, and when she finally found him, she couldn't help but smirk; this would be too easy. Before making her move, she slipped into the bathroom and stood before the mirror.

Alice hardly recognized herself. Her hair had been straightened for the party, but she wore it straight almost daily. She also had on layers of makeup to even out her complexion, and naturally, to make her attract attention by any wandering eyes that may pass her way. Even her outfit was designed to stand out. She had on a black dress, one that was a bit short by normal standards, but not for a party, and definitely not for her mission. The dress was just long enough that she was able to conceal her weapon on the inside of her thigh. The heels she wore elongated her legs, giving them plenty of shape.

All-in-all, she was stunning, but this was not how she was used to seeing herself. Alice was still used to seeing her hair twist up into curls, and her face untouched by makeup, but that Alice had long since died, and a new one had taken her place. This was a more enticing Alice, and that was what her aim was; to be enticing. She sighed. A lot about her had changed in the past month that she had been under Levi's wing, and not much of it was for the best. It made her hate herself for what she had broken down and become, but she had little choice. This was her life now.

Alice removed what appeared to be a compact mirror and opened it to check its contents. Inside, she saw the two Snakebites that would play a vital role later on in the night. She then tucked the compact into her handbag, and when she was confident in her preparations for the night, she left the bathroom. Without a single bit of hesitation in her step, she approached the man she had spotted before going into the restroom. He looked even sleazier up close. His hair was slicked back with grease, turning the dark brown a shade closer to black.

A semi-well groomed beard consumed the lower portion of his face. "Hello," Alice said smoothly. The man looked at her, then scanned her head to toe, stopping along the way to take all of her in. It was somewhat empowering to have so much power over a man without hardly doing anything. His eyes then returned to her face and he met her gaze. "Why, hello there, miss," he said with a mischievous grin, "How can I help you?"

Alice cast a flirtatious smile his way and said, "I couldn't help but notice that, even though you're surrounded by all these people, you seem rather lonely. I was wondering if you'd care for some…..company tonight." Talking like this used to repulse Alice, and to an extent, it still did; she was just used to it now. The man stood up and held out his hand, "I'd be honored to share your company. In fact, I believe I know somewhere a bit more….private for this matter." Alice held her smile in place as she told him, "Lead the way." She and the man cut through the crowd of people.

Nobody paid them any mind; they were either too absorbed in their own conversations or too drunk to notice. _Good. I don't need wandering eyes, _Alice thought bitterly. They finally made their way through the crowd and reached an elevator. The building they were in also doubled as a convention center, so Alice figured that her 'guest' was going to take her to one of the smaller conference rooms. To her, it didn't matter where he took her; it would all end the same. She and the man stepped in the elevator, and when they started to go up, the man stepped closer to her.

Alice could smell the alcohol on him, and she silently thanked whatever he drank for helping to alter his judgment, even if it wasn't very much. He started to reach for her leg, right where her pistol was hidden, and she quickly stepped aside. "No, no. Patience is a virtue," she said with a grin. The man chuckled and said, "Ah, so that's how you play this game. I like it." The elevator stopped on the fourth floor, far away from the party below, and the two of them stepped out into the hallway. Alice's eyes caught a glimpse of the security cameras on the ceiling; the little red light wasn't blinking, meaning that they had been disabled.

_Just as planned. _They walked the short distance to one of the small conference, and once inside, the man tried to make another move on Alice, but she stopped him. "Let me step into the ladies' room for a moment, please." She stepped out of the room and into the bathroom at the end of the hallway. Once inside, she went to the sink, adjusted her hair, dress, makeup, and removed the compact from her handbag.

She attached the Snakebites to her teeth and checked to make sure they weren't visible. When everything was in place, she returned to their conference room, eager to get this over with. Inside, Alice found the man sitting on the couch. He stood up and beckoned her to come his way. She did as he asked. Now, the two of them stood close to one another, with little distance between them.

The man began to place kisses on her neck, and she could feel his fangs grazing her skin. She narrowed her eyes and grabbed onto his shoulders for leverage, then sunk her own fangs into her shoulder. Blood filled her mouth, and she heard the man curse as he jumped back; obviously, he didn't expect this to happen. He clutched his neck and stared with wide-eyes at Alice. "What the Hell?! You're a Vampire?! You don't smell like one! You smell of human!" he shouted.

Alice licked the blood from her lips and said, "It's a little thing my boss came up with. Masks the aroma of Vampire and makes me smell like a human. Kind of like a perfume." The man's face twisted in anger, and she saw he was about to lunge at her, but she didn't move; she knew what was about to happen. The man coughed up blood and fell to the ground, where he began to twitch.

Amidst his convulsions, he asked, "What…..What did you do to me!?" Alice laughed and said, "Another one of my boss's creations. Right now, poison is traveling through your veins and destroying your body. You might have three minutes left, if you're lucky. So, I suggest you say what you need to before you die."

He coughed up more blood and asked with a gurgle, "How…How did a Hunter….find me?" Alice walked over to where he lay on the ground and propped her heeled shoe on his chest. "Oh, trust me, I know more than you know. You're Lord Ronald, one of the few members of the Society that escaped Zoran's takeover and hid underground. You really need to do a better job of trying to hide. Parties aren't the best place to do that; you might get recognized. Don't want that, now do you?"

Lord Roger coughed again, and his convulsions grew more intense. He then ceased to move, and when Alice nudged him with her foot, he didn't respond. "Filth," she scoffed and scooped up her handbag, then left out of the conference room, only to stop in the bathroom on her way out. Inside, she removed the Snakebites and rinsed the man's blood from her mouth. She then proceeded to straighten her dress and hair, which had gotten messed up.

When she was once again presentable, she left out of the bathroom, taking the stairs down, rather than the elevator, and snuck out of the backdoor of the convention center. In the course of an hour, she had snuck inside, taken care of business, and snuck out without gaining any unwanted attention; she had been a ghost. As Alice walked down the sidewalk, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. When it was answered, she said, "It's done. On my way back." She then hung up and continued on her way.

_~O~_

Alice shut the door behind her and sighed. The building was empty for the most part, with only a few people currently inside; the rest were out in the City taking care of their own missions. "Another successful run, I see?" a smooth voice asked. Alice glanced up at the stairs, where Levi stood. She smiled up at him and said, "Of course. As if I'd let scum like him get the upper-hand." Levi chuckled and descended the stairs.

He then walked up to Alice, leaving little distance between them. At one point, the closeness with Levi would had made her cringe and turn away, but not anymore; she had learned to get a grip on those feelings and hide them. Levi's eyes scanned her up and down, just like Lord Roger had at the party, and a grin tugged at his lips. "No wonder the mission was easy for you. Any man who turned this down couldn't have been well in the mind," he said with a shrug.

Alice smiled back and said, "Indeed. Well, I believe I'm going to go upstairs and change into something a bit more comfortable." As she started towards the staircase, Levi grabbed a wrist, an act that, at one point, would have filled Alice with fear. However, she didn't flinch at his touch. "When you are done, I want a full report for our logs. Got it?" he said.

Alice, without looking at him, nodded her head. He then let go of her wrist, and she went upstairs to her room. Once inside, she locked the door and made her way to her dresser, where she removed a plain shirt and a pair of jeans. Alice stripped out of her dress and felt as the fabric grazed the scars on her back. Before she put on the jeans and shirt, she walked into the bathroom and flipped on the light.

The shadows were chases away, leaving nothing to be hidden in the darkness. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, the reflection she had come not to recognize most of the time. Alice then turned slightly so she could see her back. From her shoulders to the base of her spine, her back was littered with scars of various shapes and sizes. Some of them had been inflected by Levi during one of his attacks, but most of them were from the lashing she received a little over a month ago. She reached back and touched one of the raised pieces of skin; she didn't feel anything.

The whipping had destroyed many of her nerve-endings, leaving the skin on her back dead and unable to feel. Alice thought of it as an added bonus for the pain she suffered that night, because now, she couldn't suffer like that again. With a sigh, she slipped on the shirt and jeans, then turned the sink on. Water came rushing out into the basin. Alice took a cloth and soaked it with the lukewarm water, then pressed it to her face in order to remove her layers of makeup. She had to work at getting the eyeliner off, but after several minutes of scrubbing, she had gotten the bulk of it off.

However, even without all the makeup, Alice still hardly recognized herself, even though she looked more like her old self. Maybe it was because of her eyes; they, too, had changed. No longer did the light of life radiate from them. Instead, they were cold. Harsh. Unforgiving. _Just like Levi's, _she thought bitterly. Alice threw the washcloth in the sink and left the bathroom, flipping the lights off as she crossed the threshold.

The room was plunged back into its darkness. Alice then stopped in the middle of the room and stared down at the floor. It scared her to know how much things had changed within the span of a month. She was no longer the scared little girl she used to be. Now, she was coldblooded killer. She had no qualms about seducing her targets, or putting a bullet into their heads after she had earned their trust. In a way, she was no different than Sinclair or Gillfrey. They had earned hers and Shun's trust, then betrayed them. But, as Alice had learned, sometimes one had to act like scum to get rid of scum.

There were many nights when Alice wondered why she had endured so much suffering, and then she would remember; she was doing this to avenge Shun's death. Then, after she remembered, she would wonder if it was worth it at all. Revenge had been her driving motivation when she first joined Levi's ranks. Now, she wasn't sure what her motivation was. There was no doubt that she still wanted Sinclair and Gillfrey dead, but she felt like that wasn't her prime reason anymore. However, there was the chance that Hunting had gone from a means of revenge, to a job.

She hadn't like it at first, but the more she killed Vampires, especially those who had once been ranking members of the Society, she came to enjoy it. The thrill of the Hunt, Levi had called it. More than likely it was the blood of her Vampire Hunter ancestor that was starting to shine through and consume her, and Alice now had her doubts that, when Sinclair and Gillfrey were dead, if she would hang up her pistol like she had planned.

That had been her goal all along; kill those who wronged her, then retire. Now, it seemed like her plans had changed, and the thought of giving up Hunting left her empty inside. It had become a part of her. It had shaped her into who she was now. It was who she was. To give up a part of her birthright seemed impossible; it would have been the equivalent of giving up the talent of playing a musical instrument. "Are you almost done?" Levi called from the floor below. Alice snapped out of her thoughts and remembered he was waiting for her. "Yes, I'm on my way down!" she called back. She then hurried out of her room and went downstairs, where Levi was patiently waiting for her report.

_~O~_

Alice finished her report and watched Levi scribble things down in his logbook, which was filled with years-worth of records of their Hunts. He shut the book and said, "Impressive work as always, Alice. You've come quite a long way since your arrival last month, and it definitely shows in some of your older records. Good work." Alice smiled a genuine smile; it was rare to get Levi's approval about things, so whenever she did, she felt a bit of pride in herself.

"Thank you," she said. Levi tossed the logbook aside and told her, "If things keep going like this, we'll get our hands on the Count in no time. I know you want that more than anyone else here, don't you?" Alice stared down at her lap as she nodded. She then felt as Levi took hold of her chin and brought her gaze up to his. "Hey, don't look so grim. I know you miss him, but keep in mind, you have me to lean on now," he said quietly.

Alice felt a bit of heat creep through her cheeks. "I know," she whispered back. Levi ran his thumb across her check, and she could feel as remnants of her makeup were wiped away. His touch still made her skin crawl; that was one thing that would never change. He then leaned in a placed a kiss on her lips. It was gentle, something Levi wasn't exactly known for, but at the same time, there was a hunger behind it, and Alice could feel him beg for more. He always wanted more, and sadly, he usually got what he wanted.

And if it wasn't given to him, then he usually took it anyway. Alice suppressed a cringe of disgust. Things had happened between her and Levi, things that she didn't like to think about. But she had allowed everything thus far to happen for a reason, and that was to ensure she held on to Levi's trust and support, for if she lost either one of those things, then she would never see Gillfrey and Sinclair's blood spill out of their bodies. So, once again she had had to grin and bear it, despite how much it made her hate herself. Levi broke their kiss and smiled.

"My Queen," he said under his breath. Alice stared at him, then finally said, "Excuse me?" Levi leaned back and chuckled. "I'm like a King, and the Hunters are like my subjects, or even knights. And you, well, you're the only one that is worthy enough to be considered on the same level as mine. That would make you a Queen, and every King needs his Queen," he said with a wink. To most people, that would have been a flattering comment, but not to Alice. All this did was prove how much of a superiority complex he had, and how, despite being as skilled of a fighter as he, she would never be considered his equal.

It made her sick, but she didn't let him know that. Instead, she smiled back and said, "I'm honored to be your Queen." Levi smiled his boyish smile and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Good to hear," he told her, "Now, if you don't mind, I have some personal matters to attend to." He then walked off and vanished up the stairs. Alice sat there and felt her skin trying to crawl away.

_To think I continue to let him lay his hands on me. Disgusting. _She wanted to burn all of her skin off, because that was the only was the only way she stood a chance of getting his touch off of her body. However, she had slight doubts that that would do the trick; Levi was like a stain, after all, one that not even bleach could remove. Alice shuddered and started towards the stairs to go up to her room, but stopped short at the door that led down to the basement.

It was closed, but cold air seeped out through the crevices. Without realizing why she was doing what she was doing, she opened the door and walked down the stairs to the basement. As she descended, the air grew colder and colder. The door shut behind her, plunging the room into pitch darkness, but she was able to see enough to finish her trek down the stairs. Eventually, her feet made contact with the dirt-packed floor of the basement, and she began to feel around for the bulb that hung from the ceiling. Her hand hit the chain, and she pulled.

Light filled the basement, and Alice stared at the metal pole she had been bound to a little over a month ago. _Has it really been a month?_ Her eyes drifted to the ground, where the dirt was stained with old blood; she wondered how much of it was hers. Alice then walked up to the metal pole and placed her hand on it. The metal was like ice, and it bit through her skin and into the bones of her hand, making her shiver.

It had been here that, only over a month ago, that she was broken. She had laid there in the dirt and bled. She had also passed out from the pain a few times. In less than an hour, she had been reduced to nothing, and her life only continued to spiral out of control after that. She had done things she wasn't proud of, and let unspeakable things be done to her. In a little over a month, she had experienced more tragedy than most people did in their entire lives.

However, she was somewhat thankful for her hardships, for they made her stronger, and also made her wish of revenge a reality. Now, she had the ability to take down Gillfrey and Sinclair if she ever got the chance, and Levi had promised her that that day would be soon. The thought brought a smile to her face. All of her pain and suffering would finally be rewarded in the blood she yearned for. Alice removed her hand from the pole and started back up the stairs, pulling the chain to the bulb on her way out, and walked the rest of the way up in the dark.

* * *

><p>Story title is based off the song <em>Vampire Heart <em>by _HIM. _I actually wrote this last weekend but forgot to post it. My bad. But this chapter was designed to show Alice's drastic transformation while being with Levi, and it only goes from there, so I'm sorry if this story gets dark; I'm aware I'm pushing some limits with this. So, if there is something in the story you do not like, then please do not ask me to change this or not to do certain things in the story because I have had several people send me messages saying that they don't want the characters to suffer anymore. People, they're fictional characters. If I'm doing that good of a job in making you believe they're real, then more power to me, but I'm not tormenting real people, so please calm down and stop telling me how to write my stories. Unless you're giving criticism I can build on, then I don't want to hear about your personal preferences. If you want something to go a certain way, write your own stories; that's what I did. So, in other words, if you don't like it, and the story isn't to your taste, then don't read it; simple as that. You are not required to read what I post, just saying. Anyway, sorry for my rant right there, but I've gotten a little tired of all of the messages with people asking me to not let the characters suffer anymore and to let them be happy and etc. It wouldn't be a story without a conflict that must be resolved. So, anywho, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, so please read and leave a review on the way out. ~Copperpelt~


	2. Rollercoaster

_~O~_

Shun placed his hands under the running water, capturing some in his palms, and splashed the cool liquid on his face. The sudden coolness made his skin prickle. Blindly, he felt around for the towel on the counter. Once his fingers grazed the fabric, he grabbed the towel and proceeded to dry the water from his face. When Shun was done, he slowly lowered the towel from his face and cast his gaze to the empty syringe that sat on the counter beside the sink; it had been emptied only an hour ago. Shun's body shuddered at the sight of the needle, an action that usually meant he wanted more.

He always wanted more. Since relapsing and returning to the blood-based drug to deal with Alice's death, his addiction had only seemed to intensify. Now, a single dose didn't last him through the day, and he found himself shooting up with several syringes throughout the day. However, he had become very skilled at hiding the fact that he was under the influence from everyone; all he did was stay quiet.

If he spoke, then it was pretty obvious that he wasn't right in his mind. But since Alice's death, he hadn't said much to begin with, so everyone simply assumed he was still grieving for her. In a way, he was, but his silence wasn't because of it. Shun gripped the marble-countertop with enough pressure that his fingertips turned white. His addiction was screaming to be fed again, and he knew he would be unable to fight it off for much longer. So, he knelt down and opened the cabinet beneath the sink and reached all the way in the back until he felt a small, plastic container.

He pulled the container out and popped the plastic lid open. Inside were syringes filled with the blood-mixture. Sinclair had no idea that any of the needles had gone missing from storage, with him being occupied with reconstructing the Clan and all. So, it wasn't much trouble for Shun to steal a handful of needles here and there. Shun reached into the container and took out a single syringe.

In the bright lights of the bathroom, the brilliant red of the blood sparkled inside the plastic syringe. Shun felt a chill shoot through his body; his addiction was screaming for the contents of the needle. Shun didn't hesitate another second. He removed the orange cap, uncovering the hypodermic needle, and plunged the sharp, metal tip into his arm. The blood-mixture shot into his veins, and an instantly relief flooded his body.

He could feel his reality starting to become distorted, as it usually did whenever the effects first begin to take hold. Shun closed his eyes and let out a long sigh as the drug took root and numbed all of the pain. However, his moment of peace was cut short. Just as his shoulders had relaxed, somebody knocked at the door. His muscles tensed, and he took in a sharp breath of air. "Shun, you in there?" a voice asked through the door. It was Loran. Panic was rushing through Shun's veins as he tried to process his next move. His eyes fell on the plastic container of syringes. He had to get rid of those. Now.

He took the container and threw them in the cabinet beneath the sink. "Shun?" Loran asked through the door, his voice a bit more concerned, rather than curious. Shun had completely forgotten that the gray-haired Vampire was standing outside. "Yeah," he called back, "give me a minute." Shun glanced up at his reflection in the mirror. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were tinged red. He swore under his breath and turned the water on, splashing some on his face to try and cut down on the redness around his eyes.

He then proceeded to fix his hair, and when he felt that he was presentable enough to not raise any concerns, he took in a deep breath to calm himself and went to the door. When the door opened, Loran jumped with surprise; he obviously wasn't prepared for the door to open so suddenly. Shun glanced over the gray-haired Vampire. Loran's skin was still bruised in places, and his arm was still bandaged; that was how most of the Clan was, though. They all were still licking their wounds from that night. "What do you need?" Shun asked, trying to sound calm and not give away hints that he was high.

It took a moment for Loran to register that Shun had spoken to him, but when it did, he said, "Oh, yeah, Sinclair wants to see you. He didn't say what for, though." A feeling of dread formed in the pit of Shun's stomach. What if Sinclair had discovered that he was using again? The thought made Shun sick to his stomach. "Alright," he said, his voice surprisingly calm, "Is he in his office?" Loran nodded in response. The two then stood in a somewhat awkward silence, which happened enough that it probably shouldn't have been awkward anymore, even though a month had passed by.

"Well, that's all I needed to tell you." Loran then turned and left the room without another word. The moment he was gone, Shun let go of a breath he had been holding in since Loran knocked. He leaned back against the bathroom door and found that his hands were trembling; whether it was from adrenaline or the drugs, he didn't know. Regardless, he clenched his hands into fists to keep them from shaking as badly. Shun now had another challenge to face; Sinclair. He didn't know what the Vampire Lord wanted, and that made him worry.

The topic of discussion could be anything, even the missing syringes from storage. An icy dread coursed through Shun's veins. _No use in putting it off. Might as well bite the bullet and get this over with, _he thought to himself. Most of his high had worn off due to the panic he experienced by Loran's suddenly appearance, so Shun was pretty coherent, despite still being under the influence of the drug. Shun let out a long sigh and left for Sinclair's office. It wasn't that long of a walk, only a few turns here and there, and at that moment, Shun wished it was more complicated than it really was, for he wanted to take as much time as possible before having to speak with the Vampire Lord.

But before he even realized it, Shun had arrived at the office. He stood there, staring at the door, before finally knocking. He waited a minute, then heard Sinclair call from the other side, "Come in." Shun entered the room as instructed and found that it was in total disarray. Papers were scattered everywhere on the floor, and empty glasses that had once held blood littered the desk. It was almost as if Sinclair had lived in his office for the past month, and perhaps he had; it wouldn't have surprised Shun if he had. "You wanted to speak to me?" the raven-haired teen asked calmly, despite the sickening dread that clawed at his stomach. Sinclair was sitting behind his desk, flipping through a folder of papers. He glanced up and said, "Yes, I do."

There was a seriousness in the Vampire Lord's voice, which didn't sit well with Shun. "Just move those papers from that chair and have a seat," Sinclair instructed. Shun nodded and removed a rather heavy stack of papers from the seat cushion before taking a seat. A moment of silence hung in the room for what felt like forever. Finally, Sinclair spoke. "I almost have the Clan put back together, which means things should be returning back to normal. This includes business, too, and that's what I wanted to speak to you about. It's been over a month since that night, which has been enough time for nearly everyone to recover and get their thoughts in order. However, I know not everyone heals the same way. What I want to know is when things return to normal, will you resume your job, or do you need more time? I understand if you still need this time, but I need an answer so I'll know if I need to assign somebody else the job."

Shun could have laughed with relief; this wasn't about the missing syringes. No, it was about his job as the Clan's assassin, the one who would go out and kill any trouble clients. But rather than laughing, Shun held it together and kept a straight face. Honestly, he hadn't given it much thought. For the past several months, the Clan had been so occupied with fighting against Alexander and Zoran, that the drug business was almost a thing of the past. To think that things really were returning to normal almost felt like a taboo. "I don't know," Shun told him, "The thought hasn't crossed my mind."

Sinclair folded his arms over his chest and sighed; he looked more exhausted than Shun had ever seen him. "Well, I need you to think about it now. You can reclaim the job position whenever you're ready, but until then, I need to know if I have to assign a stand-in," he said flatly. Shun thought about it. Was he really up for more fighting? He had already done so much in the past couple of months, and he had spilled more blood than he liked to admit.

Was he really up for more? Shun shook his head. "I….I think I need more time….," he said under his breath. The thought of more fighting made him sick to his stomach; he needed a more than a month-long break. Sinclair nodded his head and told him, "I understand. Take as much time as you need to recover. You're dismissed." Shun stood up from the chair and walked out of the office, being careful not to trip over the stacks of paper that covered the floor.

Once he was outside of the office, Shun felt like he was finally able to breathe again. He greedily took in a breath of air, held it, and then reluctantly exhaled. Shun closed his eyes for a second, and realized that his muscles were starting to ache. He opened his eyes and hurried back to his room, where the cure for his pain and suffering waited.

_~O~_

Shun laid in his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling above. The ceiling rippled and twisted in his distorted mind, and it eventually got to the point that it made him dizzy, forcing him to close his eyes and turn his head away. When he had gotten back to his room, he had doubled up his usual dosage, and the effects were proving to be a bit more than he was prepared to handle; never before had the hallucinations been so profound.

Rather than dulling his pain, it was causing him a headache. He made a note to try and remember not to double the dosage up at once ever again. Shun groaned as light flashed around in the blackness of his closed eyes; it was like being assaulted by thousands of cameras, or the headlights of cars. Short bursts of bright light that temporarily blinded the eyes. Shun reached up and placed his palms over his eyes, thinking that maybe that would help block out the bombardment of brightness. He could feel his eyes watering, and the tears wetting the palms of his hands.

He then removed his hands to wipe them dry, but when he opened his eyes and looked at them, a scream lodged in his throat. Bolting straight up, Shun stared at his hands in sheer horror; they were covered with blood. He was too stricken to do anything but stare at his bloody palms. His stomach twisted, and the overwhelming urge to be sick took over, forcing him to run to the bathroom. Once there was nothing left for his body to expel, Shun worked up the courage to look back at his hands. They were clean. He stared at them, confused. There had been blood on them. Where did it go?

He then got to his feet and turned to the mirror, expecting bloody tear-stains to trail down his face, but just like his hands, there wasn't a speck of blood to be seen. The only thing on his face were tears that had formed while he had been throwing up. _Just another hallucination….That's all it was…..None of it was real…..None of it was real….._His hands trembled violently, as if he were freezing, but he knew it was from the extreme fear brought on by the hallucination. Shun shook his head to try and clear his mind, but all that did was make him dizzy, and make his head hurt worse.

He didn't like this. He didn't like feeling like he had no control over his body and mind, and he intended to make sure he never took two syringes of that drug at the same time again. However, there was nothing he could do at the moment except wait it out. Waves of nausea came and went, forcing Shun to stay in the bathroom in case he got sick again. He sat on the floor, his back leaned against the cabinets, and waited for the drug to loosen its hold.

* * *

><p><em>Chapter title based off the song Rollercoaster by Framing Hanley. <em>Sorry I haven't been on in a while. I've been busy with school, and I had actually started this chapter a while back, but just wasn't feeling it at the time. However, I had a sudden urge to write this morning, so I finished it up and have some ideas forming in my mind for future chapters. It might a while before I can update again, but I just want to thank everyone who is being patient and waiting for me to upload. Also, thanks to all who reviewed on the first chapter. Anywho, please read and leave a review on the way out. ~Copperpelt~


	3. The Weight Of The World

_~O~_

Sinclair gazed at the stacks of paper in his office, then sighed; there was still a lot of work to be done if things were to return to normal. Most of the paperwork was on clients they had worked with before all of the fighting. Now, it was Sinclair's job to sort through them all and see who would still be willing to buy from them. He knew a lot of the clients probably had gone to other sources to get their fix in the Clan's absence, while others might have gone and gotten themselves killed in an effort to get what their bodies desired. It was like starting over from square one, and Sinclair hated it.

However, rebuilding the Clan wasn't his only task; Gillfrey had asked a favor of him, too. The Count had come to Sinclair and asked for help rebuilding the Society, seeing as it was destroyed by Zoran. Sinclair was conflicted on this request. On one hand, Gillfrey had helped them tremendously in the fight with Zoran, and the Vampire Lord felt like he needed to repay him.

However, Sinclair never liked the Society, and the thought of having a hand in rebuilding it made him cringe. He was torn and unsure about what choice to make. There was enough going on without having to worry about how to reconstruct an entire fallen government; rebuilding the Clan was proving to be enough of a challenge. Sinclair, suddenly feeling weak, sat down in his chair and placed his head in his hands until the sensation passed. This sudden weakness had been happening quite a bit to the Vampire Lord, but he had kept it secret from those around so he wouldn't raise any concerns.

He knew what the cause was, though. The weakness was more than likely caused by the stress of being so overworked, as well as the pressure placed on his shoulders by Gillfrey's request. He had also been working nonstop on getting the clients back in line, that he hadn't been consuming the appropriate amount of blood; only enough to keep his Bloodlust at bay. All of these factors were wearing on his body and mind, but he couldn't afford to take a break just yet. Once the Clan was back in order, then, and only then, could he stop for a minute to catch his breath.

After that, he would have to help Gillfrey reform their Vampirical government. _Always one thing after another, isn't it? _the Vampire Lord silently asked himself. The sound of knocking on his office door cause Sinclair to jolt up. "Come in, come in," he said quickly. He pretended to busy himself with a nearby stack of papers to make it seem like everything was alright; last thing he needed to was to raise any concern among his Underlings.

The door opened, and in walked Alucard. Sinclair motioned for his second-in-command to take a seat, and watched as he limped towards the chair in front of the desk. Being that Alucard was half-human, it had taken him longer than the rest to recover from his injuries. Even now, a month after the battle, he was still bandaged up and waiting for bones to mend. "What do you need, Alucard?" Sinclair asked flatly. The second-in-command straightened up in the chair and said, "I was just seeing if there was anything you needed help with." He then motioned to the papers scattered about the room before he continued to speak.

"The Clan is starting to get a bit worried for your health, Sir. You rarely leave your office, and many of the Clan members are concerned you're going to overwork yourself and be in too bad of shape to lead when you need to." Sinclair was silent. His Underlings had noticed that things weren't all that well, and now they were doubting his ability to lead when it counted the most; the very things that Sinclair was hoping to keep from happening. The Vampire Lord scoffed and said, "They're worrying over nothing. I'm perfectly fine."

As if to show that he was well, Sinclair stood up from his chair, but did so a bit too quick, and the weakness returned. His legs buckled, and if it hadn't been for Alucard's quick reflexes, he probably would have ended up on the floor, rather than being lowered back into his chair. "Sir, are you alright?" the second-in-command asked, his voice full of panic.

Sinclair didn't know why losing his balance was such a big deal, but when he opened his mouth to say he was fine, he realized that something wasn't right. His words didn't leave his lips, and the only sound that came out was a strained gasp for air. The Vampire Lord's vision also began to cloud over, as if he had walked into fog. He could also feel his body trembling, like he was freezing, but in reality, Sinclair found he had started to burn up. After that, things plunged into darkness, and the whole thing he heard was Alucard shouting for help.

_~O~_

Alucard stood outside in the hallway, biting at the end of his thumbnail, a habit he had when his anxiety got out of hand, and shook his head. "I should have noticed something was wrong," he mumbled to himself. Sinclair's suddenly decline in health had unfolded before his very eyes, and despite it only lasting a few minutes, it felt like hours to the second-in-command. Alucard had stood by, helpless and unsure as to what to do; he had never seen Sinclair so weak. It was true that he had seen the Vampire Lord in some rather unwell conditions, but never like this, never to the point that he collapsed.

Because of that, Alucard didn't know what to do. So, he had done the only thing he could think of and called for help. Naturally, somebody came running in a matter of seconds, and he had instructed them to go find Loran, the only one of them that might know what to do. When the gray-haired Vampire finally showed up, he didn't ask question; he instantly went to Sinclair's side and began barking orders, all while asking Alucard questions as to what had happened prior to the collapse. The second-in-command had explained how Sinclair suddenly seemed to have trouble breathing, then began to trembling, despite being rather warm to the touch, and then finally passed out.

Alucard kept it secret that he honestly thought the Vampire Lord had dropped dead before his very eyes. Now, Alucard stood outside Sinclair's room. Inside, Loran was treating the Vampire Lord, and didn't want anyone else in the room until he was done. Alucard wished he would hurry up, because he wanted to know if their leader would be okay. So, when the door clicked open, Alucard immediately bombarded Loran with questions. "How is he? Will he be alright?" Loran held up a hand, silencing Alucard, and said, "He'll be fine. I was able to get a few words out of him before he fell unconscious again, and he admitted that he hasn't been consuming nearly enough blood. This was nothing more than his body's response to being starved. Once he gets some blood back into his system, he'll start getting better."

Alucard sighed, relieved that the Vampire Lord wasn't on his deathbed. "How long will he be out of commission?" he asked. Loran shook his head and told him, "I honestly do not know. I don't know how badly he has starved himself, or for how long, so I can't give a for-sure answer. But if I had to take a guess, I'd say a week and a half, at least. Maybe longer." Alucard nodded and said, "I guess that means I'll have to take care of things until he's strong enough to lead again."

Loran nodded, but didn't add in any input. Alucard felt a little overwhelmed by this; he would have to try and finish the Clan's reconstruction, while still keeping order. It was a tall order, one that had stressed Sinclair enough to be bedridden. _All I can do is try my best and keep everything going until he's better, _Alucard told himself. Loran asked him if he wanted to go in and see Sinclair, but Alucard shook his head and told him, "No, but maybe later. Right now, there's a lot of work that needs to be done."

_~O~_

Alice woke up sometime around noon, the equivalent of the middle of the night for many people, and sat upright in her bed. She glanced around, surprised to find herself alone. _He must have been busy with work, _she thought to herself. Most nights, Levi would usually sneak into her room and stay, or wake her and asked her to come back with him to his own room. Only on rare occasions did neither of these things occur, and it was usually because he was working. One time, she had found him practicing his Hunting skills in the weapons room. He had been working on forms with his whip, and each deafening pop made Alice cringe, for it brought back memories of the basement all those nights ago.

Alice stretched her arms above her head and felt her joints pop as they were moved for the first time in hours. She was wide awake now and climbed out of the bed, slipping a robe on over her nightgown to help keep her warm from the chilly air. Her lips were dry, and her body was starting to tell her that she would need another blood tablet soon, so she figured she would kill two birds with one stone and started downstairs to the kitchen. She could have gotten the water for the tablet in her own bathroom, but sometimes the water from that sink wasn't the cleanest, so she often went down to the kitchen sink, where the water came from a cleaner source. There wasn't much to the kitchen; a stove, microwave, sink, a small fridge, and a table with seating for four.

Alice walked over to the sink, reaching up into the overhead cabinets for a glass, and turned the water on. The clear liquid rushed into the glass, filling it in seconds. When she had enough, she grabbed the tin of blood tablets she had grabbed before leaving her room, and dropped one inside. It dissolved rather quickly, giving the water a pinkish, almost red tint. Once the tablet was completely gone, she drank the mixture. It didn't taste much like blood, minus the hints of copper; it simply tasted like water with minerals. But it kept them from needing to drink blood, all while giving them the nutrients their Vampire bodies required for survival.

It also gave them some added benefits, such as an increase in strength, which helped greatly when Hunting. Alice finished the last sip of her drink and placed the glass in the sink, making a mental note to clean it later. "I thought I heard you rummaging around." Alice didn't even jump at the sound of his voice. She simply turned around and faced Levi. "Getting a little snack?" he asked, glancing at the dirty glass in the sink. Alice shrugged her shoulders and said, "Guess so."

Levi grinned and stepped closer to her. Alice didn't back away. She simply stood firm, despite the fact that he was invading her personal space. Then again, he had done that plenty of times. "I take it you've been doing work?" Alice asked, her voice flat. Levi, still holding his grin, stepped back and leaned against the counter. "Yeah, been looking over the logs. Seems like our usual number of Hunting missions has increased since you joined, so now I have more reports to look through and catalog. It's not a bad thing, though. I like seeing this increased progress."

Alice crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Most of that increased progress is thanks to me, seeing as you've been assigning missions to me left and right." Levi chuckled and approached Alice once again. "I only give you so much work so you'll have plenty of practice for the one mission that really matters, and I know you know which one that is," he said into her ear.

Alice narrowed her eyes and nodded. Indeed she did know, and she wanted nothing more than for that mission to hurry up. Levi, as if sensing her impatience, stroked her hair and told her, "Don't worry. It will all happen in good time, my dear. Now, I have work to attend to." He then placed a kiss on top of Alice's head and walked out of the kitchen. She stood there for a minute, pushing down the disgust that was rising within her, then finally started back up to her own room to try and get a bit more sleep before her real day began.

* * *

><p>Might be a while before I can update again, seeing as I have a good bit of stuff to work on this week for school. Perhaps over the weekend, I'm not sure. Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, so please read and leave a review on the way out. ~Copperpelt~<p> 


	4. A Change For The Better

_~O~_

Alucard gazed at the desk that was now temporarily his and sighed. He had taken over the Clan while Sinclair recovered, and in the course of only several days he was beginning to realize just how much stress this job contained, and he couldn't help but wonder just how in the world Sinclair was able to carry the burden for so long. _Maybe he really was capable of leading the Society, _Alucard thought to himself.

It still bothered him to know that Sinclair, the one their mismatched group looked up to, had been chosen to become the Count instead of Gillfrey. Alucard just could not picture the Vampire Lord in that position of power, especially when he compared Sinclair and Gillfrey's methods of leading. Sinclair was a good leader and looked out for his Clan. Gillfrey, on the other hand, was cold and probably would care less if a few men were lost. However, Alucard did admit that something seemed to have changed in Gillfrey after the battle with Zoran.

The second-in-command felt that the Count might have developed a bit of respect for the Clan members, despite his previous prejudice for many of them. Alucard jumped when there was a sudden knock on the door. "Come in," he said. The door opened and, much to his surprise, Gillfrey walked in. The Count seemed just as surprised to see Alucard behind the desk. "Where's Sinclair?" he asked. Alucard shook his head and said, "What? No formalities?" Gillfrey narrowed his eyes and shut the office door behind him. "Excuse me. I didn't expect to find you behind the desk. I was expecting to see Sinclair," he stated.

Alucard leaned back in the chair and said, "Well, it's me." Even though Gillfrey had some kind of newfound 'respect,' Alucard couldn't help but sense a bit of hostility from the Count. In the end, Gillfrey had been brought up to hate those who did not meet the standards of the Society, and it would take a long time for all of those prejudices to fade away, if ever. Alucard stood up from the desk and asked, "What do you need?" Gillfrey folded his arms across his chest and said flatly, "I need to speak with Sinclair about certain matters." Alucard knew what the Count was alluding to.

It wasn't common knowledge among the Clan, but Sinclair had mentioned it to the second-in-command once things had started to settle down. "You mean about you and Sinclair's agreement to help rebuild the Society?" Alucard asked. This seemed to surprise the Count; he obviously didn't expect anyone else to know about this. Before he had the chance to speak, Alucard cut him off and said, "Sinclair told only those close to him that he trusts. The whole Clan does not know what you two are planning." This seemed to ease the Count a bit more, for Alucard saw his shoulders relax.

"Okay, but just because you know doesn't change the fact that I need to speak with Sinclair." Alucard sighed and told him, "I'm afraid you can't do that at the moment." This seemed to offend the Count. "Why not?" he asked harshly. Alucard remained composed and had to remind himself that Gillfrey had not been present when Sinclair fell ill. Instead, the Count had returned to the Society's stronghold for several days to assess just how severe the damage was; they planned to use the stronghold as a starting point. "You can't speak with Sinclair because he is not well. At the moment, I am in charge of the Clan and acting in his place on all matters until he recovers," Alucard explained.

Gillfrey's eyes widened upon hearing the news. It was obvious nobody had informed him of this upon his arrival back in the enclave. "What happened?" he asked, all hostility gone. This shouldn't have surprised Alucard, but it was just strange to see Gillfrey have any expression other than hate. "He overworked himself and let his health suffer in the process," Alucard said sadly. Gillfrey shook his head, as if in disbelief. "Will he make a full recovery?" he asked. Alucard picked up on a hint of concern in the Count's voice but didn't let it bother him that much.

After all, Sinclair and Gillfrey had known each other for a long time, and even though they seemed to hate each other because of their differences, it was clear that they were still friends; in their own strange way. And it was almost as if their friendship grew stronger after the battle with Zoran. So, it didn't surprise Alucard to see the Count so concerned. "Yeah, Loran said he should make a full recovery. Sinclair just needs to rest and regain his strength." Gillfrey's hands had clenched into fists at his sides, and Alucard noticed the frustration in the Count's eyes.

"I knew Sinclair was stressed with all of this, but he seemed to have been handling it rather well when I left," he said bitterly, "I should have known that this was too much for him to take on at once and never should have asked him to take on this task until he finished with this first." Gillfrey motioned to the room to signal that he meant the Clan. Alucard wanted to agree with the Count, but it was not his place to say something like that. He still remembered when Sinclair had told him about Gillfrey's request, and it had shocked Alucard to hear that the Vampire Lord had agreed.

However, he hadn't argued against it because he knew that Sinclair would not change his mind on the matter; he was a man of his word, after all. Alucard knew that rebuilding the Clan and the Society would be a lot of stress on Sinclair, but he had never thought it would drain the Vampire Lord as badly as it did. "Sinclair felt like he was capable of taking on both tasks, making this his choice, and he overestimated his abilities. Do not blame yourself. You know he would not allow you to," the second-in-command said flatly. He didn't like saying it aloud, but the truth was that this was Sinclair's fault for letting his health suffer.

Gillfrey sighed and said, "Well, it seems like the Society's plans are going to be on hold for a while. Maybe that's for the best. It'll give me more time to develop more solid ideas than what I have now." Alucard nodded. He hadn't expected Gillfrey to want to discuss his plans with him; that was something strictly between him and Sinclair. And honestly, Alucard didn't want to know them all the much.

The Society had been nothing but cruel to him and others like him, so he didn't want to know what was going to be done with it. However, he had a feeling that Sinclair would not allow for all of the prejudices to remain. Perhaps some things would change, and Vampires like Alucard would have more of a say in their government. It was a dream, but after everything that had happened in the course of several months, it seemed like anything could be possible.

"Are visitors allowed to see Sinclair?" Gillfrey suddenly asked, breaking the extended silence. Alucard nodded but told him, "They are, but he may not be awake. He's been out cold since his collapse." Gillfrey nodded and said his thanks before leaving the office in search of Sinclair.

_~O~_

Gillfrey found Sinclair's room with ease. It wasn't that far from his office, and on top of that, it had a more ornate door than most of the ones in the enclave, which screamed that it was his. _Member of the Society or not, he never lost his taste for the décor, _Gillfrey mused. The Count now stood before the ornate door, and a debated on knocking. According to Alucard, Sinclair had been unconscious for days, so the odds of him being awake now were slim. But on the other hand, it was common curtesy to knock, and Gillfrey respected that. So, he lifted his hand to the door and knocked with his knuckles.

He waited a moment, but there was no answer. So, he knocked again and waited. No answer. _He must still be asleep, _the Count reasoned. So, feeling sure that Sinclair was not awake, Gillfrey opened the door and stepped inside, and sure enough, Sinclair was sound asleep. Quietly, Gillfrey closed the door behind him and walked over to the chair that resided near the bed. He sat down and stared at Sinclair. The sight filled the Count with unease. When he had left four days ago to return to the Society's stronghold, Sinclair hadn't looked this bad.

It was true that Gillfrey had noticed the effects of the stress taking their toll on the Vampire Lord, but they had only manifested as dark circles under the eyes and the occasional yawn. What was before him was so much worse and it boggled the Count's mind to know that Sinclair deteriorated so quickly in the span of four days. "I shouldn't have asked so much of you…It was selfish of me to add onto your workload. I apologize," he said under his breath.

The Count knew Alucard had had a point in saying that this had been Sinclair's choice, but it didn't change the fact that Gillfrey hadn't taken things like this into account. The stress of rebuilding the Clan was nothing in comparison to rebuilding a government, and that hadn't occurred to Gillfrey until now. But there was no way the Count would be able to rebuild the Society on his own. The faith of his followers had been lost, and on top of that, many of his followers had either been slaughtered or had fled and gone into hiding. Trust wasn't just the only thing hurdle he had to overcome.

The fall of the Society had opened doors for improvement to laws that previously hadn't helped the betterment of their people. Many of these laws could now be revised, or even erased completely. Their government would be completely rebuilt from the ground up and made better, stronger. It wasn't just some task Gillfrey could do on his own, and that had been why he had enlisted Sinclair's help.

When they both were young and competing for the title of Count, Sinclair had always spoken of what he would change in the Society if he could, and a lot of his ideas were good. Gillfrey needed that open mind, for his own was still rather closed, and he did not want that to interfere in the formation of his new government. He wanted to make changes and move forward, rather than stay where they had been for hundreds of years. They were long overdue for a change, and this might just have been the only chance they had. And because of that, Gillfrey wanted to do things right.

The Count was taken from his thoughts when Sinclair moved. Thinking Sinclair might have been about to wake up, he stood up and waited. But it appeared that Sinclair was simply moving about in his sleep. This left the Count somewhat disappointed. He wanted to apologize to Sinclair for having a hand in causing his decline in health. Gillfrey sighed. He would just have to wait a bit longer for the Vampire Lord to wake up. The Count was just about to leave the room when Loran entered. Loran stopped in his tracks, obviously surprised to find somebody else in the room, and said, "Hello, Gillfrey. When did you get back here?" The Count straightened his collar and said, "About an hour ago."

Loran nodded and looked to Sinclair. "Well, as you know, Sinclair isn't well. I was just stopping by to check on him." Gillfrey stepped off to the side and told the other Vampire, "I'll leave you to your work, then." Loran nodded and walked over to Sinclair's bedside. A part of Gillfrey wanted to stay behind and ask Loran questions, just in case Alucard had been sugar-coating things back in the office, but he opted against it. Loran appeared busy enough without any unnecessary distractions. Besides, Gillfrey felt that he would run into the gray-haired Vampire again sooner or later and have another chance to ask his questions.

So, the Count left the room, closing the door behind him, and walked down the hall to the room that had been given to him upon his arrival. The room was no different than the rest of the rooms in the enclave, the only exception being Sinclair's, but it was understandable that their leader had a bigger room. Gillfrey found that nothing had been touched in his absence. Not that there was much to mess with anyway, but it still didn't change the fact that he liked to make sure that his space had not been invaded. The Count made his way over to the overly plush bed and laid down.

His body instantly relaxed the moment it made contact with the silk comforter. It had been a long and difficult trip back to the Society's stronghold, and the trip had left the Count tired, physically and emotionally. The images of the castle were still fresh in his mind. The place had not been touched since Zoran's attack, so everything was left like it had been when the evil Vampire took over. Pictures of previous Counts had been ripped from the walls, including his own portrait. Gillfrey had noted that they did the most damage to his painting. A final act of defiance.

Vases and any other forms of glass had been shattered as well. However, the one thing that haunted Gillfrey the most was all of the blood. There were stains on the white marble floors, most of it being from the first attack, but not all of it. Gillfrey recalled just how much blood had been spilled when Zoran first attacked, and what was on the floor had not all been there. That told the Count that Zoran had taken more lives right there in the throne room, the place that was once the seat of the Society's power. Then there was the matter of the underground cells that had housed all of Zoran's Blights.

They were just as bloody and smelled of foul blood. Those cells had hardly been used before, and it was a definite given that they would never be used again. To put somebody there now would be too cruel of a punishment. It hadn't been easy to see all of that carnage, but it was something Gillfrey needed as to remind him that the Society really was no more, and just how much rebuilding was needed to get things running again. It also served as another kind of reminder; that this could happen again unless things changed. Gillfrey closed his eyes and sighed. It was such a daunting task to think about.

After all, it took hundreds of years for the Society to get where they were now. Then again, that Society was far from perfect, despite what everyone may have thought. At one point, Gillfrey thought the Society was perfect, but after being away from it, after not running things, he realized just how imperfect it really was. Sadly, he had not been able to see this in his youth, and he didn't listen to Sinclair's rants about how things needed to be changed.

So, Gillfrey had gone through most of his life believing that the Society was as righteous as everyone made it out to be. To the Society, the half-breeds were weak, worthless. Gillfrey knew now that wasn't the case. Prior to coming to the enclave, he had never truly been around half-breeds. Occasionally one would be brought in for trial, but that was the extent of it. Now, Gillfrey knew better. He had met Alucard and saw first-hand what the half-breeds could do. They were just as capable as any Pure Blood Vampire, and he had a newfound respect for them. Same went for the Turned Vampires.

Gillfrey had never truly considered them to be Vampires and always thought them unworthy to be called such. But just like the half-breeds, he had been proved wrong. The Society had brought him up to think a certain way, and with the title of Count, he really never had a chance of thinking any other way, for the Count or Countess embodied the Society's way of thinking and its traditions. But now that the Society was gone, Gillfrey was beginning to form his own thoughts, his own opinions, and it was liberating.

He wanted to take these new ideas of his and incorporate them into the new Society that would rise from the ashes of the old one. When this happened, Gillfrey knew he would face opposition from some of the remaining members of the Society. They would be the ones fighting to keep the old traditions alive. Gillfrey wasn't sure yet on what to do with them, but he felt he would cross that bridge when he got there. It wouldn't be an easy task; governments aren't created overnight, after all. It would be a tedious process, one that would require months of planning to make sure everything goes smoothly. _It can be done, though. Like all things, it will just take time._

* * *

><p>I know, it's been a while since I've updated anything. Honestly, I had another chapter typed up and completed, but I felt that it went a bit too far and was too similar to the previous chapter, so I scraped it and did this instead. It's the first chapter that includes Gillfrey, so I felt that he needed some love. Also, I'd like to point out that Gillfrey probably has one of the most major character developments of any of the other characters in this series.<p>

If you think about it, it's true. Gillfrey basically started out as, well, pretty much a racist. If they weren't Pure Bloods or a part of the Society, then they might as well have had no reason to live in his eyes. And now look at him. At one point, Gillfrey never would have even entertained a full conversation with Alucard, and yet in this chapter, he did. He's come very far from how he was when he was first introduced, and I'm really proud of myself for making such a good character development.

I just thought I'd point that out. You may agree or disagree. Some of you may say Alice has developed the most, and in a way, she has, but she's gone in the other direction. Gillfrey has developed for the better, while Alice has basically been destroyed. Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, so please read and leave a review on the way out. ~Copperpelt~


	5. Panic Room

_~O~_

_Bang. Bang. Bang. _A thin trail of smoke rose from the end of the pistol as Alice finished unloading the chamber. She then lowered the gun to her side and stared down at the three bodies before her. They were just Blights that had been spotted roaming the area near their hideout, so they had to be taken care of, just like people took care of rodents and other vermin. Alice tucked the pistol away in its holster and walked over to the motionless bodies. Blood that was black as the night leaked from the holes in their skulls. It wasn't as satisfying killing Blights; they were mindless creatures, after all.

Alice enjoyed a challenge, which could only be provided by targets that were completely aware of their surroundings, such as the Vampire she had killed several nights ago. Blights only lashed out blindly, never once giving a thought to assess the situation and correctly fight back. Vampires like those from the Society, the big targets, were a totally different story. They were cunning, strategic. Born and bred to fight.

Alice enjoyed going up against them more than these diseased creatures. Alice sighed. There had been more Blights spotted than the three she had just killed, so she knew that her night was far from over. The thought of scouring their vast territory for a few remaining stragglers irritated her. _I could be doing something more useful than this, _she thought bitterly. Alice knew that Luther and Emilia had gone on a Hunt that night, but Levi had assigned Alice to take care of the Blights, rather than go with them. She understood why, though. Levi didn't want her tiring herself out.

He wanted her in tip-top condition for when it counted the most. So, there was no point in her going with Emilia and Luther for such a task, even though she wanted to go. It would have given her an excuse to be away from Levi for a bit longer, whereas with the Blights, she would finish the job within the hour and be back at the house that the Hunters shared. The thought made Alice sick. She liked being out in the city. It was in the city that she felt like she could breathe, that she felt free, rather than caged and at the mercy of Levi. Sadly, she could not stay out in the city forever.

Eventually the sun would come up and she would be forced to seek shelter. On top of that, she was also dependent on Levi's blood tablets, and without them, she would easily fall into Bloodlust. The thought made Alice's stomach turn. It had been so long since she had tasted real blood, and honestly, she was fine with that. At least with the blood tablets she was able to hold onto a small sliver of her humanity. If she went back to consuming blood, then she was literally no different than the creatures she hunted. A sound from the shadows snapped Alice back into focus.

She reached for her pistol and quickly reloaded the chamber. "Who's there?" she asked to the shadows. Odds were it was another Blight, but Alice wanted to make sure before firing into the dark. A trash can nearby suddenly fell over, spilling its contents out onto the ground. Whatever knocked it over suddenly scurried off down the alley. Alice caught the faintest glimpse of what the creature was, and recognized the diseased silhouette of a Blight. She swore under her breath and chased after it, gun drawn and ready to fire. This Blight was surprisingly fast, which led Alice to believe that it could have possibly been infected.

If that was the case, then she would have to watch herself. Blights that had recently obtained the disease still contained traces of their old conscious mind, making them much more dangerous than the ones that had been ravaged by their illness, such as the ones she had just killed. Their brains had been destroyed, leaving them as nothing more than mindless killing machines whose only drive was to feed. Alice ran faster, her feet pounding the ground as she hurried to catch up to her new target. She now had caught up enough to see the creature ahead.

It was running almost on all fours, which wasn't uncommon for the Blights to do. Although, it was strange to find one able to run so fast like that. Something about this did not set right with Alice and it urged her instincts to go into overdrive. This was something that Levi had taught her. He had shown her how to increase her senses when it mattered most, and in this case, it mattered. It was extremely dark in the alley, dark to the point that her enhanced vision struggled to see things clearly. On top of that, she didn't have much room to fight or defend herself, so being on guard was vital.

Not to mention the smell of garbage that filled the alleyway. It assaulted her senses and made pinpointing any one scent even more difficult. All-in-all, she was at a disadvantage and would need all of her skills in order make it out of this one unscathed. Suddenly, their chase came to a halt when the alleyway became a dead-end. Alice slowed to a walk and looked around; the Blight was nowhere to be found.

She then caught a sight of a metal ladder that led up to the roof of a building. It was possible the Blight climbed the ladder, but to admit that would mean to admitting that this Blight was smarter than most. _It really must have only been recently infected, then. _Alice could not see any other route that the Blight could have taken, so she tucked her pistol back into its holster and began to climb the ladder. It creaked under her weight, and in some spots it felt like the rungs might break off. Alice took slow, deep breathes and silently reassured herself that, if the Blight had been able to climb this, then so could she. After slowly ascending the ladder, Alice found herself at the top. She stepped onto the roof, and the moment her feet were planted, a weight slammed into her body, knocking her down.

As she fell back, her skull struck the ground, causing light to explode behind her eyes. "Look at what we have here," a guttural voice said. Stunning and movements jerky, Alice struggled to get to her feet. If she didn't do something soon, then she would be done for. The Blight cackled as she stumbled and fell back over. "What's the matter? Did the little Hunter bump their head? I can kiss it and make it better." Alice growled in frustration at her body. She then felt as the Blight took hold of her hair. A cry of pain and surprise escaped from her mouth as she was thrown onto the ground.

The rocks of the roof bit into her skin, some even drawing blood. She then felt as the Blight placed his weight on her, pinning her down. She screamed obscenities at the Blight. "Get off!" she screamed. The Blight laughed and replied with, "I don't think so." Alice growled and wished that she could hurry and regain control of her body. If it took much longer, than she would be done for. Alice turned her head to the side and saw that her pistol had fallen beside her when the Blight knocked her over. She willed her hand to try and reach for the gun, but her attacker quickly realized what she was trying to do and kicked the weapon further out of her reach.

Alice swore under her breath; that was her only chance of being able to turn things around. Her eyes widened when she felt the Blight trying to tear away the collar of her shirt, which kept much of her neck concealed. The feeling of the Blight's hands near her throat instantly conjured memories of Levi's attacks on her, how he had taken blood against her will. Alice felt her skin crawl and her stomach churn. "Get off! Get off of me!" she screamed.

The Blight seemed to enjoy her panic, for her began to trail his claw-like nails along the skin of her throat. "Did I strike a nerve, little Hunter?" he asked with a hiss. Alice looked at him and felt her heart stop; she hadn't noticed how red the Blight's eyes were until that second. They were a glowing, blood-red, much like Levi's. This only stirred more panic within Alice and drove her to flail even harder. "Get off!" she shouted. The Blight only laughed. In her fit of panic, the Blight seemed to be turning into Levi. Even that laugh sounded like Levi's. Her heart wanted to break out of her chest and she found herself having difficulty breathing, as if the Blight suddenly grew heavier. "This is a lot more fun than I thought it would be," the Blight said with a twisted grin.

The creature then leaned near Alice's neck and she could feel its hot, disgusting breath on her. This was the final straw, and Alice felt herself finally snap. She was able to reach up and grab a hold of the Blight's face, where she proceeded to dig her nails into its eyes. Blood trailed down her arms and dripped onto her face, but she didn't care; her only care was killing her attacker. The Blight, blinded from her attack, climbed off of Alice and clutched his bleeding eyes.

An animalistic cry erupted from his throat. Alice, blinded by rage, scrambled for her pistol and picked it up. The gun felt heavier than it really was, and it also didn't help that her hands were slick with blood, but she found the strength to hold on tightly to the grip. She then raised the gun and pointed it at the Blight, but didn't pull the trigger. Instead, she stared in horror. All of the Blight's facial features had twisted into those of Levi's, and Alice felt something twist within her. Why just shoot him when she could make him suffer like he had made her? Alice lowered her pistol back to her side and slowly approached the injured Blight.

He heard her approaching and began to back away, but stumbled and fell. Alice now stood over him and felt her rage only intensify. She drew her leg back and kicked with all of her might. The Blight screamed, but even over his screams, Alice could hear ribs shattering; she wanted to hear more. So, her kicks became more furious, and each time she kicked, she screamed. Blood had begun to trail down from the corner of its mouth, but Alice didn't see it that way.

Instead, she saw it as her blood running down from Levi's mouth after he had taken it from her. This caused the fury to grow stronger, and without realizing it, Alice had taken the gun in her hand and had begun to strike the Blight with the butt of the pistol. Each time it made contact, there was a sickening crunch of shattering bones. It was music to her ears. This went on for about fifteen minutes, and when all of Alice's rage had been used up, she backed away and stared at what she had done. The Blight had been pulverized into a bloody pulp and now laid lifeless on the roof.

Taken aback by the severity of the damage, Alice stared down at her hands, as if to confirm that she had done this. Sure enough, her hands and arms were painted red, as well as her clothes, hair, and face. She shook her head in disbelief. There was no way that she had been able to do this with her own hands. But there it was, staring her in the face.

If she hadn't lost it, then she would have simply shot the Blight in the skull, but because she had gone into a panic and envisioned it as Levi, she had gone mad with rage, and it scared her. Clearly Levi's attacks had traumatized her, and the Blight's actions had triggered a response to that trauma. Alice shook her head. She didn't want to admit that Levi had gotten to her enough to make her do something like this, but the truth was in the bloody body laying before her.

She had done this and had imagined the Blight to be Levi, and every minute of it had felt….good. Alice, with her composure back intact, wiped her hands off on her jeans and picked up her pistol, which she had thrown back on the ground after beating the Blight to death. She wiped it off as well and tucked it away in its holster. Then, taking one last glance at the body, she turned around and walked towards the ladder, as if nothing had ever happened.

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><p>I know, it's been a while since I updated, but I should be able to write a little bit more now that I'm on my winter break, so hopefully I'll get more chapters up and on a more frequent basis. Thanks for being patient, everyone. Read and please leave a review on the way out. ~Copperpelt~<p> 


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